Trawler owners willing to discuss dolphin catches

A spokesman for super trawler owners says they are open to discussions about how to reduce the possibility of catching dolphins in their nets after it was claimed a near record number of the mammals were killed when large ships were recently fishing off the north-west coast.

The Irish Whale & Dolphin Group (IWDG) reported that 28 dolphins were washed up during January and February, many of which were on the north-west coast and which showed marks consistent with being drowned in fishing nets.

During those two months a number of supertrawlers were working off the coast.

It was the second highest reported number of strandings since the comparable period in 2013 — when supertrawlers were again spotted operating in Irish waters.

The IWDG has said the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, through the National Parks and Wildlife Service, should have arranged for independent observers to be put onboard foreign vessels fishing in Irish waters this winter.

Gerard van Balsfoort, spokesman for Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association (PFA) — which represents the interests of nine European pelagic freezer-trawler companies — said they were open to discussing measures which would help to reduce the accidental catching of dolphins.

However, he said that all vessel owners must be involved in such discussions, be they freezer-trawlers or smaller boats.

“We feel that control measures have to be applied to all vessels. No exemptions,” said Mr van Balsfoort.

“I just can tell you in general terms that our freezer-trawlers use the same pelagic [fishing] gear as the Irish and other vessels use. Moreover we usually catch less per day compared with our colleagues who have to land everything in a fresh state to be processed in shore-based factories.”